Week 5 Picks

Another week, another slate of games to pick. I went 11-4 in Week 4, bringing my total to 20-10-1 on the year. A pretty good week, but there’s always room to improve. Let’s predict this week’s contests.

Buccaneers 28-17 Bears

The Brady vs. Foles rematch we’ve all been waiting for. Both QBs are in different places than the last time they faced off in Super Bowl LII, but they’re both doing similar things. Brady is still putting up incredible numbers down in Tampa, and Foles is still pulling miracles in Chicago. That is, he pulled one miracle. He’ll need another one if he wants to beat this Bucs team, which has one of the most solid defensive units in the league. I like Brady and co. to get the job done quite easily against a Bears team that struggled mightily offensively last week. Perhaps this is the week that Chicago figures things out, but I doubt it.

Panthers 31-28 Falcons

If you told me that one of these teams would be 2-2 and the other would be 0-4 coming into this matchup, I definitely would’ve guessed that the wrong teams had those records. Alas, here we are. The Falcons are reeling week after week, either being outclassed or blowing leads. The Panthers have strung together a couple of really nice wins, and will hope to keep that momentum going on Sunday in Atlanta. I think they will, but I expect the Falcons offense to keep them in the game for a while. Don’t expect WR Calvin Ridley to be a no-show again like he was last week.

Chiefs 38-24 Raiders

I am hoping for the best for Kansas City players after playing against a team now dealing with a plethora of COVID-19 complications last week. Everything appears to be going smoothly, but you never know with the virus. If things proceed normally, then this game will not be very close. The Chiefs offense and QB Patrick Mahomes has only been slowed down by the Patriots this year, and the Raiders don’t have nearly the defense that New England has. I expect this lackluster defense to continue being underwhelming, and Vegas will lose big.

Cardinals 31-13 Jets

The Cardinals have lost back-to-back games and are looking to get back on track ASAP to compete in the toughest division in football. Luckily for them, they get the New York Jets this week. Moreover, the Jets will be starting QB Joe Flacco thanks to the shoulder injury sustained by Sam Darnold last week. This game should not be close at all, and I don’t expect it to be. If the Cardinals prove me wrong again… there will definitely be some questions.

Steelers 27-17 Eagles

The good ol’ battle for Pennsylvania. Two teams that I despise from cities that I despise. I wish they’d both lose. However, I’m practical, so I’ll take Pittsburgh to win this game. The Steelers defense is way too good to give up big plays to nobodies like the 49ers did last week against the Eagles. I expect QB Carson Wentz to struggle greatly and maybe have his worst game of the season. However, I wouldn’t overreact in Philly, as this Pittsburgh team is just straight up better than them.

Rams 31-14 Washington

The Kyle Allen era begins in DC. That physically pained me to type. Oh well. I personally hope we lose this game by 100, but like I said above, I am practical. The Rams are a better team than Washington. Better on offense, better on defense, and much better on special teams. This game should be a blowout. The one thing Washington has going for them is that the Rams might be a bit jet lagged, but I doubt they’ll fall into an early 28-3 deficit again. This game should be a blowout, and I hope that I’m right about that.

Ravens 30-21 Bengals

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson hasn’t practiced much this week, but I doubt that’ll make him play any worse this Sunday. Baltimore is starting to get back on track after their embarrassing loss to the Chiefs, and the Bengals don’t propose much of a challenge. Cincy finally got in the win column last week, and QB Joe Burrow continues to look great on a weekly basis. The kid refuses to go down without a fight, and I don’t think he will this week, even against a team like the Ravens. Despite that, it won’t be enough. If the Bengals can pull off this upset, it’d be pretty great to see, but I just don’t think it’s very likely.

Texans 27-24 Jaguars

Houston finally moved off HC/GM Bill O’Brien, and now Romeo Crennel will lead the team for the rest of 2020. I think his tenure will get off to a good start. Jacksonville has been up and down this year, and I never know what version of the team I’m going to get on Sundays. Regardless, I expect this Texans team to be fired up, as many players have implicitly expressed their relief now that BOB is gone. These teams match up pretty well talent wise, but I like Houston, who has an extra edge going into this game, to come out with the W.

49ers 31-19 Dolphins

San Francisco should be getting their starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo back this week against Miami, and that is reason enough for me to pick them. This offense looked decent under Nick Mullens last week, but he singlehandedly lost them the game in the 4th quarter. With Garoppolo back, this offense will be back to (almost) full strength. Luckily, they face a Dolphins team that didn’t play very inspiring football a week ago. I think this is a great matchup for a 49ers team looking to get back on track. The Fins could linger around for a while, but I like San Francisco to take care of business fairly easily.

Browns 22-19 Colts

This honestly might be the best matchup of the week.: a fantastic offense vs. a fantastic defense. Both of these teams excelled in those specific phases last Sunday, but it will not be as easy this week. The Browns might struggle offensively in their first game of many to come without RB Nick Chubb. However, I still think they’ll be the team to win this game. Yes, I have been raving about the Colts defense all season long, but they haven’t played an offense as talented as Cleveland’s yet, even without Chubb. I also think the Browns have a pretty good defense of their own. I trust Cleveland’s stars to make the big plays in the big moments more than I trust Indy’s. For that reason, I’ll take the Browns.

Cowboys 38-16 Giants

This game should not be close whatsoever. The Cowboys are very lucky that, in a week filled with scrutiny and slander from the media and fans, they get to play the New York Giants. This offense should have a field day against a New York defense that is pretty bad, despite a very good game against the Rams last Sunday. Dallas’ defense should also have a bounce back week against a Giants offense that has scored 3 offensive touchdowns in 4 games. If the Cowboys somehow manage to lose this game, then it will be time for an implosion in the coaching staff.

Seahawks 34-31 Vikings

This Sunday’s nightcap should be a blast. The Seahawks defense has proven that they cannot stop a nosebleed, and now they welcome to town an offense that has found its groove in the last 2 weeks. Vikings QB Kirk Cousins has been putting up great numbers with his WRs Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson starting to get hot. But, the Seahawks have also proven that they can win all the shootouts in the world, which the Vikings have not. QB Russell Wilson will always find a way to win the game for his team, and that’s exactly what I expect him to do on Sunday night. I expect it to be nothing short of a thriller; what else would I expect from the 2020 Seattle Seahawks?

Patriots 27-13 Broncos

Another Patriots game moved to Monday evening thanks to COVID-19 issues. CB Stefon Gilmore tested positive for the virus this week, which means the Patriots’ two best players will likely be out for this game. If QB Cam Newton somehow manages to play in this game, then it’ll be a lot worse than a 14 point game. But, even without Cam, I think New England wins big. They are simply much better than a Denver team that has been destroyed by injuries. HC Bill Belichick is also way too smart to be out-coached or out-gameplanned by Broncos HC Vic Fangio. This game could end up being ugly, which wouldn’t surprise me at all. In any case, the Patriots will win it.

Saints 30-27 Chargers

This one should be fun. The Chargers announced that rookie QB Justin Herbert will be their full-time starter going forward (as if there were any other choice), and he has been red hot to start his career. He just got finished dotting up one of the best secondaries in football a week ago. Next up for him is a secondary that has struggled all year long in New Orleans. I fully expect Herbert to pop off once again, but in typical Chargers fashion, it won’t be enough. The Saints are more experienced, more talented, and better coached. Moreover, WR Michael Thomas is probably returning this week, which will provide a big boost to a New Orleans offense that has yet to find a true rhythm in 2020. If Herbert can lead his team to a victory on Monday night, then hopefully it will shut up any people who still doubt him.

Bills 27-26 Titans

Tuesday night football! This game is now being played on Tuesday the 13th due to more COVID-19 problems in Tennessee. That is, unless the Titans still can’t get their players under control. In that case, this game will likely be canceled. But I’m an optimist, so let’s talk as if everything will proceed in the best case scenario. This is the only battle of unbeatens this week, and it should be very fun to watch. Both of these teams are very solid all around, and are both extremely well-coached. These are two classic franchises who are now both on the track back to success. I’ll take Buffalo to pull this one out by an extremely narrow margin, only because they’ve proven that they can beat some elite teams in this league. Tennessee did have an extra week off to rest and prepare, but I still think that the Bills will come out on top. I wouldn’t be remotely surprised if I’m wrong. Let’s just hope this game actually happens.

All stats taken from ESPN.